Oh, Those Crafty Bastards!

Yesterday was gorgeous here in Boise, if a little cool and breezy for late August. I love this city, with its rich cultural history and abundance of trees, and walking around the downtown area is one of my favorite things to do—especially this time of year, when there are so many cool things going on.

I snapped this photo as I was passing the lovely, historic Basque Center, on my way to the first annual Crafty Bastards Block Party! A street fair with tons of awesome handcrafted goods for sale, great music and a Bloody Mary Mix Off— what's not to love about that?!

I got so wrapped up in the festivities I didn't actually think to take any photos at the party (I know. Bad Blogger.), but in my defense I was quite busy shopping like a maniac (yeah, like this surprises anyone who knows me). Wanna see the treasures I brought home, all handcrafted right here in the Boise area? 

Whenever I go to an event like this, my first stop is Intentions Perfumery. Caitlyn Davies, my dear friend and the world's most brilliant natural perfume maker, creates the most incredible fragrances. Trust me, Chanel ain't got nothin' on Cait! She does a new line each season, and her scents for autumn 2010 are... okay, yes, "transcendent" is the right word. I had to have two, one for when I'm feeling sweet, and another for when I just really need to channel Wonder Woman. Caitlyn is in the process of creating an ETSY shop for her perfumes, and I'll let you guys know when it goes live!

But it's not enough to smell good. A girl's gotta feel good, too. So I picked up some lovely, completely natural skincare products from Thea's Bee Beautiful. This stuff is rich and wonderful!

Then, I blinged myself with some new jewelry from Elle Brady Designs. The bracelet is constructed with parts from an old bicycle chain. Clever, huh?

 Here's a close-up of the Hoop Girl earrings. I am so in love with these. 

 Finally, I bought two gorgeous, unique tri-fold greeting cards from the brilliant Jenny Rice! The photo truly doesn't do them justice, but you can see how cleverly designed and richly textured they are. The insides are fabulous, too!

At that point, I was low on cash and high on that euphoric state that accompanies a Really Good Shopping Experience, so I wandered around the city market for a while and then took myself out for a green tea latte. I need more days like this. We all do. I hope you have many... and often!

Have an artful day!

Linda